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Watch this! Posted: 06 Oct 2013 05:44 PM PDT

Obey the rules, media practitioners! Posted: 06 Oct 2013 07:20 AM PDT Don't get Zahid Hamidi wrong again. Just like when he told those who are against our system 'to leave the country', this time he didn't mean it when he threatened to 'close down all news dailies'. However, the anti-government dailies and news portals are fast to batter him, accusing the Home Minister of trying to flex his muscles on them. Hello! Media practitioners must follow the rules and regulations. There is this journalism ethic. I have been abiding it for over 32 years now, and so are senior journos like Datuk Ahirudin Attan (Rocky's Bru), Datuk A Kadir Jasin (The Scribe), Datuk Ahmad A Talib, Nuraina A Samad and others. We never tried to oppose the 'one way street' by intruding into Cabinet's close door meetings, ministers' private meetings and so on. There are many other avenues to get scoop and big headlines but not by going against the rule. Zahid's statement was 'harsh' but it carries a clear message to media practitioners, especially the new ones and those supporting the opposition - journalists must observe the DOs and DONTs in carrying out their duty. If a Cabinet member has certain provisions and regulations to abide, the media must observe and uphold theirs too. There are doors you cannot enter. However, Zahid's personnel too should be more organised. I understand they are still new at the Home Ministry but just like any other ministries, they must be able to distinguish what 'close' and 'open' door meetings are. Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has reportedly barred the media from reporting a closed event at which he allegedly made "sensitive remarks" yesterday, threatening to close down all news dailies. According to an Oriental Daily report today, this transpired after Zahid discovered several journalists amongst the audience at a security seminar with community leaders held in Malacca. The minister then "invited" the journalists to leave the scene, reported the Chinese paper. According to the report, Zahid earlier introduced several Umno candidates to the audience of the forum and then allegedly proceeded to make "sensitive remarks" in his speech. However, the report did not elaborate on what these remarks were and did not identify the media involved. As the speech progressed, a Malacca Umno leader discovered the journalists and ordered his men to ask them to leave. The minister's secretary, who sat at the same table with media personnel tried to assist the journalists, and it was at this point that Zahid took notice. The minister then warned that it was a closed door event and prohibited the media in every language from publishing the contents of the forum, failing which he warned he would have the dailies all closed down. After Zahid's warning the audience booed at the journalists, forcing them to make an exit, reported Oriental Daily. Outside, the organiser tried to explain to the disgruntled journalists that it was all a "misunderstanding". By the way, none of the anti-government dailies and news portal hammered Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng when he banned Utusan Malaysia and NST from covering his events last year. And it is not that very proper (actually, its very rude) to call Zahid a 'caveman'. So what is LGE? A primitive pig?

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